Part Four: Finally Home (The Wayward Sons Return)

Dr. Light was laying on his bed contemplating what his fate would be. Wily had scheduled his take-over earlier that expected, for the very next day, and the good scientist was helpless to stop it. He feared for everyone.

Suddenly there was an explosion outside the lab. Dr. Light jumped in surprise and in an instant was at his window. He could see something fighting the Robot Masters, but couldn't tell exactly what.

His door opened, and he turned to see Roll standing there.

"Roll, what's going on?" He glanced back outside, but apparently the battle had gone inside.

"I'm not sure," she answered, "but someone it attacking Wily."

"Than this could be our chance. Let go." Roll was quite glad to obey her creator in this. They ran out of his room and down a hall, but a sharp explosion shook both to the floor.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, but we'd better get somewhere safe until this is over."

"There's an empty storage closet on the ground floor." Roll would know this well.

"We'll take the stairs." Cautiously they made their way down the flights of stairs that would take them to the ground floor, which was also the lab floor, then Roll led Dr. Light down a hall towards the empty closet. Once there she opened the door. But Dr. Light hesitated. The lab was nearby, and he had to see it. Cautiously he crept down the hall and peered through the open door. What he saw surprised him and confused him.

He saw flashed of blue and red (with a flutter of yellow) zipping around the lab so fast they were just colored blurs, attacking all of the Wily bots furiously. The kind scientist's heart leapt as he wondered if he dared hope…

A wild shot from Elec Man blasted into the doorframe very near the scientist. He cried out and recoiled backwards into the hall.

"Dr. Light!" Roll called. He scrambled back and joined her in the storage closet. They shut the door and sat on the floor to wait for the battle outside to conclude.

"Are you all right, Roll?"

"Yes. You?"

"Just a couple of bruises."

"Could you tell what was going on?"

"Not really. The attackers were moving faster that I've ever seen." Suddenly it got quiet outside.

"What's going on?" asked Roll. Dr. Light just listened.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Mega and Break Man stood at the front door, standing side by side, watching as Dr. Wily fled in his Skullcar, shouting threats of revenge as usual. They then returned to the heart of the battlefield: the lab.

"This place is a mess," Mega commented, surveying the brokwn glass from test tubes and beakers, scattered papers, and scraps of metal from destroyed robots.

"Well, lets use what's left of these enhanced abilities to clean up." The two zipped around, cleaning up the lab as best they could. Then, all their energy draining and leaving them too exhausted to do anything but, they sat on the floor, leaning against the wall. They curled their knees up to their chests, crossed their arms over their knees for a pillow, and laid their heads down. Of course they had to lift their heads again to remove their helmets, which weren't very comfortable, but then they could rest.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The door to the storage closet slowly opened, and Dr. Light and Roll peeked out.

"Is it over?" she asked.

"I think so." Carefully they crept out. No Robot Masters or Metools roamed the halls, as had become common during the past six days. All was quiet.

"I'll go check the other rooms," Roll said, and darted down the hall away from the lab. Dr. Light went the other way. He had to see the lab, which held to may memories for him.

To his surprise and delight, the lab appeared only a little damaged. There was evidence that someone had attempted to clean up a bit after the battle (and he seriously doubted that it had been Wily). Dr. Light looked from one side, noticing with some dismay the pile of papers he'd have to sort through, then around the room. When he got the wall to his right he saw something there that me him gasp. What he was were two four-foot tell figures, curled against the wall, heads on folded arms propped up on upraised knees, helmets by their sides. One had his face turned to the side, the other face down. Even if they had been dressed in street clothes instead of their fighting uniforms, there was no way Dr. Light could ever mistake who they were.

For a few moments he stood frozen in place, unsure as to whether he could trust his eyes. Then one figure stirred, lifted his head and softly greeted,

"Dr. Light." Dr. Light swallowed before replying in the same volume,

"Break Man."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes." He looked at Mega, who hadn't moved.

"I think he's asleep. The speed boost really drained us."

"Then you should both rest." Break Man just grinned and looked at Mega, who was leaning against him as he slept. Carefully he moved, easing Mega down until he laid stretched out on the floor, his head pillowed on his arms. Then he wearily stood.

"I hope my room's still in one piece."

"It should be. I scrambled the codes using the computer's random number system to protect certain room and the computer itself. I couldn't allow Wily to defile what was special to me." He went to the computers and activated them, then unlocked the random number password with a spoken phrase. Then he reprogrammed the original password, unlocking the automatic doors for all the rooms. 'There."

"Thanks." Break Man headed for the door on wobbly legs. Roll came in at that moment and, realizing what was needed of her, helped the red raider get to his room.

Dr. Light continued to look at Mega for a long while, then decided to leave him where he lay, leaving briefly to get a blanket to cover him with, then moved to organize those papers. He sighed, determining the extent of the task before him.

"Well, Tom," he said to himself, "lets get to work. Now lets see, where does this go…."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The first thing Mega heard upon awakening was the rustling of paper. He kept his eyes closed as he became fully awake, just listening. He could feel warmth like a blanket on his shoulders and hear someone moving about the lab. His armor was growing increasingly uncomfortable, so he slowly reached down to his waist and hit his recall button, making his armor vanish and leaving him clad in his street clothes. He noted that he was no longer human by his lack of a heartbeat and proper human feet. But even so the wash of pleasure from having his armor removed that felt as keenly as any human would feel it. He sighed in relief.

Instantly the movement and rustling stopped. Mega slowly opened his eyes and turned his head, propping his chin up on his folded arms, to peer about. The first thing he saw was Dr. Light standing where they’d deposited the papers, some in hand, looking back at him. For a while neither was able to speak or move. Then Mega gasped out, “Dr. Light!” and struggled to his knees, shedding the blanket that someone had draped over him.

The good scientist quickly went to his creation’s side and helped him into a kneeling position, for he was still a little weak. Their eyes met, and Mega knew that if he’d been a human his eyes would’ve been burning with tears. Feeling the full weight of his guilt for what he’d said to the person who was like a father to him, Mega abruptly hugged Dr. Light, pressing his face against the scientist’s chest.

“I’m sorry, Dr. Light,” he blurted out. “I’m sorry for what I said and what I did.” His breathing was coming in gasps as if he was crying. “I’m so sorry.” Dr. Light hugged his creation in return.

“It’s okay, Mega. Wily told me how he tampered with your anger capabilities. He took great delight in gloating every detail. Nothing you did was your fault. Nothing.” Still Mega felt that he had to apologize for one last thing to ease his guilt.

“I’m sorry that I said you thought I was an experiment. I didn’t mean it.” Dr. Light smoothed Mega’s hair a bit in a fatherly gesture of reassurance.

“You’re forgiven for it all. Don’t let it worry you for another moment.” After a brief pause he added, “If ever you feel that way, like I’m forgetting that you’re not just a robot, I want you to let me know. Okay?” Mega nodded. Dr. Light smiled. “Good. Break Man’s resting in his room, which is what I think you should do.”

“Roll?” Mega had to know. “Rush?”

“Roll’s okay. Wily put Rush in one of the basement robot holding chambers. I believe Roll is getting him out right now.” Mega finally smiled, and peacefully fell asleep right then and there in his creator’s arms. Dr. Light could only smile.